July 21, 2025

SEOUL – A shocking domestic shooting in South Korea over the weekend ended with a man dead, his father in custody, and a bomb squad evacuating more than 100 people from a Seoul apartment building.

On Sunday night around 9:30 p.m., police in Incheon received an emergency call reporting that a man had shot his own son in a high-rise residential complex in Songdo International City, a modern waterfront district west of Seoul.

According to the Incheon Yeonsu Police Station, the victim, a man in his 30s, was rushed to the hospital in cardiac arrest but did not survive.

The suspect, identified only as a man in his 60s and confirmed to be the victim’s father, fled the scene with the weapon he allegedly used. Seoul police later arrested him at approximately 12:20 a.m. Monday in the city’s Gangnam-gu district, about 30 kilometers away, after a three-hour manhunt.

During questioning, the suspect told police he had also placed an explosive device in his residence in Dobong-gu, northern Seoul. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, 105 residents were evacuated as the bomb squad searched the building. They found and safely removed a makeshift explosive composed of accelerants and a timer.

Photos shared online showed police tactical units and ambulances stationed outside the apartment complex in Songdo, prompting early speculation about a mass shooting. Authorities clarified there was only one victim and no further injuries.

Gun violence is extremely rare in South Korea, where private ownership of firearms is strictly regulated. The weapon used in the shooting was described by police as a crudely constructed pipe-shaped firearm.

However, it remains unclear whether the suspect built it himself or obtained it elsewhere. Authorities have sent the firearm and explosive materials to the National Forensic Service to determine their origins and method of assembly.

“We have not confirmed whether the suspect made the weapon himself or purchased it,” a police official said. “We are investigating the production of both the firearm and explosive, as well as the motive behind the crime.”

The suspect remains in custody and is under investigation for murder and weapons violations.